1954 - Michael’s grandparents, Francis and Jacqui Gutschenritter purchase the farm

2013 - Michael begins to farm, starting with a vegetable CSA program, which ran a few years

2016 - Michael and Courtney get married and continue converting the 100 acres to perennial pasture and pollinator habitat while grazing laying hens and sheep

We are Michael and Courtney Gutschenritter. Along with our two daughters, we farm 100 acres in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. We try to be good stewards of the land while producing healthy food and quality products.

Michael and Courtney met while attending the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, then went their separate ways for almost a decade. Michael was hiking the Appalachian Trail, canoeing the Mississippi River, and skiing the slopes of Colorado while Courtney worked on several farms, taking her from Virginia, to Maine, to Italy, and back to Wisconsin, where she grew and designed flowers for weddings for several years. They met up one summer day and walked the farm’s 100 acres. They were married shortly after.

After Michael’s many adventures, he decided to try his hand at farming his grandfather’s farm, which was otherwise set to be sold. It’s been going well and we were able to purchase the farm and convert the acreage from broad acre corn and soy to perennial pasture for grazing and pollinator habitat. We are passionate about the work we do and hope to help others set up similar, successful operations.

Thanks to Cassie Rosch Photography for the family photos

RECENT PRESS

KINUTE Magazine 2023 Article about our farm, focused on Conservation

MKE Lifestyle Magazine 2022 Feature on how we managed the pandemic

Farm Show Magazine 2021
Article about our winter watering system for laying hens

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2020
info about our Hunger Task Force Program

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2016
Story about the Farm

Everywhere is Local
Feature in Cookbook

Value Added Producer Grant 2018
Video

Best Nest Boxes
Video

Chicken Shift - Moving birds on pasture 2017
Video